A hunt master hurled racist abuse at a black anti-blood sports protester and branded her a f*****g w**, a court heard.

David Peters, 33, hurled insults at a group of ‘saboteurs’ who gathered in 4×4 vehicles to voice their protests at a meet in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, on January 7.

The married dad-of-one – who is the master of the Ross Harriers hunt – went on to abuse protester Hiba Hassan and call her a f***ing w** as he rode past on horseback, JPs were told.

A court heard Peters had called police to disperse the protesters who claimed they were monitoring for illegal hunting.

But he was arrested when the anti-hunting group told officers about the alleged racist slur.

Peters, from Ross-on-Wye, appeared before Hereford Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with racially aggravated harassment.

Addressing him prosecutor Michael Taylor said “You tried to take a look inside the Land Rover.

“You even went to look in the back and when you saw a black person you shouted out ‘look there’s a f*****g w** in there’.

“Presumably loud enough to impress the people behind you.”

Giving evidence Ms Hassan told the court she was on her first hunt protest and was left “upset” by the insult.

She said: “Mr Peters began banging on the Land Rover and shouting at us.

“I heard him say ‘you’re going to get it’ and he called me a ‘w**’ when he saw me.

“He saw me and then he said ‘they’ve got a f*****g w** in there’.

“He was aggressive the whole way through. Everyone was in hearing distance.

“I felt very alienated and upset and shocked. I don’t think people use the word ‘w**’ in this day and age.

“Less than an hour later the police officer approached me. They asked me if I had any trouble and if I’d experienced any abusive behaviour from anyone and I said yes I had, I said the hunt master had been abusive towards me.

“I was quite upset at the time.”

Witness Robert Muncey told the court he was tending to his garden when the incident occurred.

He said: “The lead rider crouched down as he came passed the Land Rover looking in the cab window. He then crouched around by the back window.

“He yelled out the following to the riders behind him: ‘Oh look, they’ve got a f*****g w** in here.’

“It was said very loudly in a venomous manner. I couldn’t believe what I had heard. I really thought there was going to be trouble.”

Peters admitted shouting some threats towards the group as he passed them on horseback but denied using racist language.

He also claimed he was verbally abused himself by the group who labelled him a Welsh sheep s******g c**t’.

Giving evidence he said: “I was told that there were ‘sabs’ (saboteurs) present. The information I had was that they had baseball bats.

“I phoned the police and just told them the information I had. As soon as you’re aware of saboteurs, it’s my duty as a master to inform the police.

“We left the pub and went around the bend and there’s some saboteurs to my left hand side just parked up really.

“I did not stop because I had the hounds around me.

“And I didn’t say those words, I didn’t hear those words.

“Then I retraced my steps back up the lane. I got near enough to the top and one of the saboteurs made a grab for me and had me by the leg trying to get me off the horse.

“He called me a ‘Welsh sheep-s******g c**t’. I managed to dislodge him and carried on around the bend away from him.

“I weren’t happy because he had tried to have me off the horse. He was running alongside me pointing at me.

“I was threatening to keep him away from me. It was a reaction I had because I was backed into a corner.”

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